Stardew Valley (Switch)

Date Purchased: January 12, 2018
Date Completed: March 10, 2018
Price: $16.99 (Eshop)

After seeing this game at the top of the Switches best sellers list and being mildly intrigued I decided to give it a shot and downloaded it.  After a few "years" into the game I feel like I can adequately review it.  After looking at "howlongtobeat.com" I've determined the average play through is about 50 hours, that's roughly what I've put in.  

The game is a "farming simulator" first and foremost, there are other aspects to the game, walking around talking to NPC's, uncovering some of the mysteries of the valley, but frankly idgaf about those things.  My goal was simple, make a sweet ass farm.  I'm not saying those other aspects are bad, some people really love evolving digital relationships, just not me.

The first few seasons are a real grind and a lot of work, but also the most satisfying.  A couple "years" into the game I have irrigations systems in place, more money than I really know what to do with, and the game has since lost it's appeal.  I have a feeling I'll pick it up again one day, but I'm not lying when I say I'm enjoying my break.  

The game has incredible charm and considering I got 50 hours out of a $17 game, it's well worth your investment.  Recommend.

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst (Xbox One)

Date Purchased: February 6, 2018
Date Completed: March 07, 2018
Price: Free (EA Access)

I remember enjoying the first Mirror's Edge game on Xbox 360, so while I'd heard some negative things about this one, I decided it was worth a try despite what the critics were saying.  The game is okay, I got hung up at the beginning about perfecting runs, but when that seemed near impossible, I just mainlined the "story" (which is shit by the way) and completed the campaign.  The graphics are nice, this series has a futuristic minimalistic vibe that I appreciate, the sound minus the voice acting is fine as well.  The gameplay though, I mean it's fun doing all this parkour, but at some point you'll realize you're just following a red line from point A to point B pressing buttons with very generous room for error.  Until the last couple levels, it's like Uncharted platforming, where if you die, it's because you did something really stupid.  Pass.

Crazy Taxi (Xbox 360)

Date Purchsed: February 1, 2018
Date Completed: February 22, 2018
Price: Free (Games with Gold)

I LOVED this game on the Sega Dreamcast back in the day, however when I played it again for free on Xbox, it hasn't aged very well.  There's still something to be appreciated, this really was the first 3D open world go anyhere game that I remember playing, and now there are hundreds of them.  The most disappointing thing is that there's no Offspring in the soundtrack in this version.

Madden 18 (PS4)

Date Purchased: February 6, 2018
Date Completed: February 19, 2018
Price: Free (EA Access)

I recently reviewed Madden 17 and got a lot of mileage out of that game, the general "football" of 18 is very familar, however the new "Longshot" story mode really changes the game.  I'm sure many people skipped this portion, but it's the best part of the package as far as I'm concerned.  You start as a rookie looking to get drafted at an NFL combine, get recruited to a reality show called "The Longshot" and have to prove yourself, the end game is to get drafted.  The game plays similar to some of Telltales adventure games requiring you to make quick choices in dialogue to progress the story.  Normally I don't care for these types of games, but the characters were really done well here.  The whole thing felt like an episode (albeit a long episode) of Friday Night Lights.  The game also quizzes your general football knowledge asking you to read formations, call out positions etc. While I'm a football fan, I don't know the game inside and out, and when you fail something that anyone involved in the game should know, the game does make you feel dumb.  I was full in for the ride and enjoyed every moment of it.  There were a couple spots where you literally had to guide the ball with the left stick into the hands of the receiver, that part was dumb, but overall, this package was great.

I played some generic football, re-winning the Super Bowl with the Eagles on Pro difficulty.  It's a fine game of football still.

Recommend.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)

Date Purchased: November 6, 2017
Date Completed: February 17, 2018
Price: N/A (SNES Classic)

I'm glad to have this game off my Mario game bucket list.  The title says it's the sequel to Super Mario World, but the departure is HUGE.  I don't like this game.  I've started it many times over the years but couldn't bring myself to finishing.  Thanks to the SNES Classic's ability to save anywhere I did work my way through it, it was a giant pain in the ass.  The graphics were revolutionary for the time, but look muddy now by today's standards.  Yoshi's flutter jump changes the way the game plays, but the game lacks the tight platforming Mario games are known for.  The music is good, and it has some amazing boss battles, but the general game overall fails miserably compared to other Super Mario games.  I can't recommend this.  Pass.

Titanfall 2 (Xbox One)

Date Purchased:  October 23, 2018
Date Completed: February 2, 2018
Price: Free (EA Access)

I remember mulling over purchasing this game of Overwatch back in the day, I eventually settled on Overwatch and that was probably the right choice given that I was looking for something with staying power, but Titanfall 2 is not to be dismissed.  Now in the mood for a short action packed campaign, Titanfall 2 Delivers.  Each level feels unique and the game throws in a variety of different mechanics each level to  make it continually fresh.  Some levels morph and transform, some give you a time travelling ability, all this and some of the best mobility I've ever experienced in a first person game.  The shooting is also good, like really good, the guns are very satisfying and have a good feel to them.  The game sounds and looks great as well, but I'm all about that gameplay.  I'm almost certain this will land on my top 10 of 2018.  High recommend.

Blossom Tales (Switch)

Date Purchased: 01/09/2018
Date Completed: 01/16/2018
Price: $20 (but my son bought it) eShop

This is a charming Zelda clone, the game is very self aware and even gives a few winks and nods to the Zelda franchise.  I'd heard some complaints it was short, but it was a decent enough length (9-10 hours) that I never felt it was a chore to move on.  The graphics are nice, the soundtrack is serviceable and it's a great little Zelda clone that fans of that series shouldn't miss. Recommend.